Industry consultants & contractors
Registered Building Surveyors work closely with industry professionals such as designers, engineers and contractors to offer a range of services from development monitoring and contract administration through to timber framing or weathertightness remediation consulting.
Timber frame testing and mould sampling
As part of the building consent process, an independent consultant is often required check the condition of timber framing, especially when a building is being remediated. Registered Building Surveyors are commonly engaged to perform this service, which involves obtaining timber samples from appropriate locations to be analysed for decay, toxic moulds and preservative treatments. This will then inform the building surveyor on the condition of the timber framing including the severity and extent of any damage, to enable a suitable remedial strategy to be put in place. Timber framing in need of replacement will be marked to inform on the location and extent of the affected timber. Finally, the remedial repair scope will be monitored, and a photographic record of the repairs will be provided when the remediation is complete.
Registered Building Surveyors may also be engaged to collect either airborne or surface mould samples for laboratory analysis, before reporting on the findings and offering recommendations to address any issues.
Remedial design input
Based on experience with building defects and common mechanisms of failure, Registered Building Surveyors can provide specialist input to architects and engineers, particularly when dealing with remedial schemes.
Contract administration
Our Registered Building Surveyors can assist and advise on the appropriate contract version for your project and provide contract administration services such as:
- Contract preparation.
- Procurement of professional and construction services.
- Contract administration during the construction phase through to completion.
- Assistance with financial matters alongside a registered quantity surveyor.
In addition to the services noted above, our members can also provide specialist advice where contract disputes arise through working closely with the parties to the contract and legal professionals.
Clerk of works and development monitoring
The role of Clerk of Works has been around since the 13th Century with the original title of “Cleric of the Church Works”. The role has developed over the centuries and can be briefly summarised as “ensuring value for money for the client through rigorous inspection of the materials in use and the craftsmanship deployed in their usage.” This role offers quality assurance through on-site assessments against the full scope of contract documents.
The term development monitoring is becoming increasing popular, and is a service that can include monitoring and reporting on design compliance, the standard of materials and workmanship or the financial and programming status of a development.
Schedule of condition reporting
It is often a resource consent requirement for construction developments to provide schedule of condition reports to document the condition of nearby properties, both before and after construction. A detailed schedule allows a condition benchmark to be set for a property prior to construction works being undertaken. This provides a clear record of condition to reference against upon completion of the development or should any claims of damage arise in the meantime.
